Former World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) superstar Gabbi Tuft came out as transgender last week on
social media.
Tuft came out on Thursday, posting a
photo of herself on Instagram next to an image of herself before her
transition.
“This is me,” she captioned the
photo. “Unashamed, unabashedly me. This is the side of me that has
hidden in the shadows, afraid and fearful of what the world would
think; afraid of what my family, friends, and followers would say or
do.”
“I am no longer afraid and I am no
longer fearful. I can now say with confidence, that I love myself for
WHO I am.”
She added that the “emotional
turmoil” of being transgender “almost ended me on multiple
occasions.”
From 2007 to 2014, Tuft appeared on WWE
shows Superstars, Raw, Smackdown, and
WrestleMania. She currently works as a fitness coach and
motivational speaker.
Her press release announcing her coming
out includes her former name Gabe and Tyler Reks, her WWE stage name.
Tuft said that she's comfortable using her previous name.
“The rest of the world is
transitioning, too, it's not just me. I can't expect an overnight
change from everyone,” she said.
Tuft said that her wife Priscilla
encouraged her to come out. The couple has a daughter.
She told NBC News that she was “elated”
by the overwhelming support she's received.